Another Beautiful Day
by aidyr
Summary: Yoshiko was… not all that special. Not good with people, not confident, not standout in any way. She hated her reflection. She hated that when she saw it, she didn't see dark feathery wings or corrupted halos. She only saw distant magenta eyes, and the unimportant girl they were attached to. (Also posted to AO3)
1. Mirror

It was jarring to look in a mirror. The person staring back at her was so infuriating, and yet, it was her reflection nonetheless. Yoshiko always got lost staring into her own eyes. She could see an emptiness there that nobody else had ever picked up on. Eyes are the windows to the soul after all, and through her eyes, Yoshiko could see all her insecurities and doubts; all shrouded behind her extravagant alter ego.

Yohane was a comforting thing. A persona to fall back on when she didn't _want_ to be Yoshiko Tsushima (which was, for the record, pretty often.) As embarrassing as the datenshi act might've been, it was something she held near and dear to her heart. Her other self had become such an integral part of her life for so long, such an essential coping mechanism, that she couldn't imagine a life without it. She didn't really mind. She liked being Yohane. She liked being Yohane far more than she liked being Yoshiko. Yohane was interesting and outgoing. She was special; a beautiful angel who was tossed from the heavens.

Yoshiko was… not all that special. Not good with people, not confident, not standout in any way.

She hated her reflection.

She hated that when she saw it, she didn't see dark feathery wings or corrupted halos. She only saw distant magenta eyes, and the unimportant girl they were attached to.

Sighing, Yoshiko turned away from the mirror. She needed to get ready for school and no amount of self depreciative stares at the mirror were going to get her an education. She grabbed her uniform and tugged it over her head. The flowy grey skirt to accompany the cutesy sailor uniform came next, followed by the trademark way she styled her hair.

Getting dressed, doing her hair, brushing her teeth, getting her stuff together and finally eating a quick breakfast took about an hour. By the time she was done, she needed to start heading to school.

Kissing the sweet peaceful sanctity of her home goodbye, Yoshiko opened the door and begrudgingly left her den to trudge into the outside world.

Another beautiful day…

* * *

She sat down with an exhausted _plop_. School was as uneventful and boring as it usually was. She was glad to finally get to the clubroom. She was the first one to arrive, and for a couple minutes she sat quietly awaiting the other members of Aqours.

The first to show was Riko.

Which meant… she was now alone in a room with Riko.

She was torn between cursing the high heavens and thanking fiery hell. On one hand, she knew she was about to act like a complete and utter idiot (crushes will do that to you,) but on the other hand… _Alone in a room with Riko._

"Riri!" She greeted the redhead excitedly. "Welcome to my lair little demon. Have you come to offer up your soul? Or simply to bask in the radiance of Yohane?"

Though once upon a time Riko would've rolled her eyes, Yoshiko was glad to see her crack a gentle smile. Riko's smile was far more beautiful than any painting she'd ever seen, and the sight of it made her stomach flutter.

"Good afternoon to you as well Yocchan." Riko giggled as she sat down by Yoshiko's side. "How's your day been?"

"Ehhh…" She shrugged. "Boring."

"I get that." Riko responded with a nod. "I'd think that if anyone could make sitting in class for hours interesting, it'd be you though."

Yoshiko raised a questioning eyebrow at this.

"Oh don't give me that look." Riko snickered. "I guess I wouldn't really know since we don't share any classes, but I figure you of all people would know how to keep yourself entertained. Or does the great Yohane take a backseat during class? Perhaps you're secretly dutiful and studious?" She nudged Yoshiko's arm in a teasing and playful manner. The friendly gesture made Yoshiko's heart skip a beat.

"Pfffft a-as if!" Yoshiko stuttered. Her pale cheeks filled with a rosy blush. "For centuries I've roamed this mortal coil. No amount of plebeian high school study could hope to provide knowledge which rivals all I've already catalogued within the impressive depths of my mind!"

Riko hummed in response. "Hmmmmmmm what's your GPA again?"

"Irrelevant!"

The pianist chuckled lightly. The sound was music to the ears.

A thought popped into Yoshiko's mind… She'd _really_ like to ask her favorite little demon to hang out sometime. Obviously not as like, a date or anything. Just a friendly get together. It'd been a while since the two had spent one on one time with one another.

Maybe they could go shopping? Bookstore? Restaurant? Strolling down the beach at sunset? The more she pondered it, the more her ideas seemed like date plans. Of course she'd love to go on a proper date with Riko, the girl was stunning and smart and kind and talented. But there was no way. Riko was so far out of her league it was absurd. Did she even like girls, Yoshiko wondered. Even if she did there's no way she'd return her feelings. Yoshiko was too weird and socially inept for someone like Riko. Too neurotic, too abnormal, not pretty enough, not smart enough, not—

"—Yoshiko!"

"H-huh? What?"

Riko looked at the younger girl with a mild concern on her face. "You alright? You sorta spaced out for a bit."

"O-oh. Of course!" Yoshiko waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry your pretty little head about it Riri."

She seemed unconvinced, but went with it anyway. "Hm… if you say so. Oh! By the way, I wanted to ask you something."

"Yeah? What's up?"

Riko pulled her bag into her lap and rummaged around in search of something. Yoshiko noticed with great amusement that as she did so, she tried and failed to hide the presence of a trashy doujinshi which resided alongside the rest of her items.

Perking up as she spotted what she was looking for, Riko whipped out two small pieces of paper. "I uh… My mom was going to go to a concert with my dad for their next date night. But something came up with work and they had to reschedule so… she gave these to me."

Yoshiko blinked. She took a second to eye the tickets Riko was holding and— "Holy crap!" She exclaimed, quickly snatching the paper from Riko's hands with the enthusiasm of a master robber grabbing unmarked bags of cash. "I-is this…? Are these tickets to a Malice Mizer reunion concert?"

Riko blushed and glanced bashfully toward the floor. "Ah… y-yeah."

"Your parents listen to Gothic music?" Yoshiko stared in amazement. "That's so goddamn cool!"

"Hey!" Interrupting her intense bout of fangirling came a sudden shout from the entrance. Dia entered the room with a disapproving scowl. "Watch your language." Behind her followed Mari and Chika.

"S-sorry," Yoshiko apologized, embarrassed. Following a hum of acknowledgement from Dia, she turned back to Riko and spoke eagerly with a face splitting smile. "Sorry, for being so excitable it's just… Gods they're so cool! Honestly, screw whatever your parents have going on, how could they possibly pass this up?"

Riko smiled and rubbed sheepishly at the back of her neck. "Er… y-yeah. I know right…?"

Yoshiko noticed her little demon was wearing a peculiar sort of expression. The sort of face a child might make when they've broken something but won't own up to it. Or when you're telling a friend a white lie.

"What's going on?" Chika asked, having apparently tuned into their conversation. "What's going on with your parents?"

"Ah… Nothing," Riko answered hesitantly. "Anyways! That's not the important part!" She fidgeted in her seat before continuing somewhat quietly, "Since I have the tickets… and it seems to be your cup of tea… Would you like to go with me?"

"Oh my god, is it finally happening!?" Mari poked her head up from whatever had been previously occupying her attention.

"Is what happening?" Chika asked.

"Mari don't embarrass them!" Dia scolded with her signature stern, authoritative voice.

"Ohhhh Dia, I just can't help it." Mari raised her hands to her face and swooned elegantly. "It's just _too_ precious."

Yoshiko had no idea what the hell they were talking about. Maybe she was missing something though, because the deep scarlet blush painting Riko's face seemed to imply the redhead knew exactly what was happening, and that it was something to feel flustered about.

Though she felt out of the loop, for the sake of her sanity, Yoshiko opted not to ask Mari to elaborate. Instead she simply turned her attention back to Riko and offered a cheeky grin. "Great stars have aligned for you, lucky mortal!" She did a peace sign-esque motion over her right eye and smiled. "I, the beautiful, cursed, and damned fallen angel herself; she who disobeys gods and fraternizes with devils, would be more than happy to accompany you on your journey to plunge straight to the depths of a melodious hell! We shall have a jolly night mingling with the earth's loveliest rowdy wenches and bastards!"

"Language!" Dia barked.

* * *

Soon after the rest of Aqours arrived. Practice proceeded as per usual, save for a couple slip ups on Yoshiko's part. She couldn't help it though. Her head was swimming with excitement. Attending a visual kei/goth rock concert with the prettiest girl on earth? It didn't feel real. For the time being, troublesome thoughts left her mind. She was too excited to be critical of herself. She looked Riko's way, and as she did, a smile tugged at her lips.

Another Beautiful Day.


	2. Show Time

The day of the concert seemed to sneak up on Yoshiko, and before she knew it, the evening was upon her. She was positively thrilled about it. So hype in fact, she almost didn't notice the nervous feeling in her gut which screamed _please for the love of all unholy, don't screw this up._ Several hours alone with Riri at a live musical performance? It was almost too good to be true. She was determined to be on her best behavior that evening. When would life afford her an opportunity like this again? She couldn't be sure. As such, steadfast as a fallen angel could be, she declared that she and Riko would have the best (not a) date two (totally platonic) friends could have.

The train ride to the venue would quite a long one, after all, it's not like many bands were scrambling to perform in a tiny seaside boondocks town like Uchiura. It was a miracle that a group like Malice Mizer would decide to hold a concert anywhere near their humble corner of Japan; she really couldn't complain about a couple hours of train riding to get there.

Yoshiko gazed into her bedroom mirror. Her hair looked good, she'd decided to do something other than her usual one-sided space bun. She had it pulled back into something of a french braid updo thing. She was ass at doing her own hair, so begrudgingly, she'd had to ask her mom for help. The results were satisfactory though. She wasn't one to wear makeup outside of datenshi stuff but for the occasion, she'd settled on black lipstick and nail polish, dark blue eye shadow and a bit of mascara. She didn't want to look _too_ fancy, since it was still a goth concert they were attending. So her wardrobe for the evening consisted of a simple crimson skirt, loose navy shirt, and a leather jacket. She wasn't usually too keen on her appearance but… goddamn, she looked pretty good.

She felt the need to remind herself yet again however, that this was absolutely NOT a date. There really wasn't any need to get so dolled up.

But looking herself up and down… she couldn't imagine materializing before to her favorite demon looking anything less than flawless.

Leaning over to get a better look at her makeup, her eyes caught her attention. Despite the excitement they shined with, and the makeup which made their color pop, she still couldn't help but think they looked… dull. Gnawing at her lip, she did another once over of her body. This time, not from the perspective of someone absolutely killing it with their outfit, but from the perspective of someone who barely recognized the girl they saw in the mirror. She looked good, for sure. But… she looked…

Ugh.

Yoshiko pinched the bridge of her nose and grumbled under her breath. Now wasn't the time to sit around hating herself. It was time to attend a concert damn it, and that's what she was gonna do! It was getting about time to meet Riko at the station anyways.

She forced herself away from the dark recesses of her mind eagerly began to pep talk herself. "Yohane, listen here," She whisper-yelled as she made her way to the door. "We shall board Choron's ferry across the river of styx tonight and we will arrive at Magh Meall. We will offer our souls to the music and be lost in the whimsey of the night!" She pumped her fist. "Let us swim across the Peninsula of Xora!"

She grabbed the knob and twisted it with mad enthusiasm. Tonight she was gonna leave behind all the bad thoughts and just focus on having a good time. She threw the door open and stepped out into the cool evening air.

"Yocchan!"

Yoshiko just about leapt out of her skin. Right as she opened the door, there Riko stood. She was just about to knock, if her raised fist were any indication.

"O-Oh!" Yoshiko cleared her throat, and tried to seem as not-surprised as possible to see the gorgeous redhead standing there. "Hey R-Riri."

Holy sh— give me a heart attack why don't you?, The younger girl thought to herself.

Riko offered a gentle smile and a chuckle. "You look lovely tonight, Yoshiko. I love what you did with your hair. And are you wearing lipstick?" She leaned in to get a better look, which brought immediate heat to Yoshiko's pale cheeks. The fallen angel stepped back out of instinct, but there was a door behind her, so she didn't get far. Riko continued to inspect her. "Wow, almost makes me wish I'd dressed up a bit more." Riko giggled nervously and finally took a step back. She rubbed her neck, and continued to take in Yoshiko's thought out ensemble. "You look good in leather."

There was probably a joke to be made there, but Yoshiko was too flustered to say anything but a shakey "Oh… thanks… You look great too."

Riko did, by the way, look great. She had her burgundy hair pulled back in a ponytail. Not extravagant, but Yoshiko liked the way it looked. She had on a black and white striped blouse and black skinny jeans. Riko wasn't often the sort to wear much monochrome, Yoshiko could only assume it was because the band was "gothic" she felt the need to dress darker than usual. Well… by Riko standards anyway. Cutest of all though was the piano hair clip she was wearing to pin back an unruly section of bangs. Makeup wise, she was wearing less than Yoshiko, just some neutral lipstick and maaaaybe a bit of blush.

"Er… We should get going soon." Yoshiko pointed out. She was bashful and had trouble coming up with an interesting chuuni way to say it, so she simply pointed out the obvious. "Show starts in about three and a half hours, yeah?"

"Oh, yes of course!" Riko nodded. A look of consideration passed over her face, before, oh so gingerly, she extended an arm in invitation. "Uh… sh-shall we?"

Yoshiko looked at the arm and blinked. "Ah… yeah."

She hesitated for a short moment, then looped her arm around Riko's own. Before setting off, she took a second to lock her door and appreciate the feeling of their arms linked together.

As she walked down the stairwell, Riko by her side, Yoshiko cast a glance up at the sky.

The stars were awfully pretty.

Another beautiful day…

* * *

The train ride was relatively uneventful. They'd spent the first hour of their commute talking about this and that. Riko would say something about Aqours, to which Yohane would loudly proclaim something about contracts and hellfire, Riko would remind her that they were in public, to which Yoshiko would sheepishly apologize. Their topics of conversation jumped around a bit, from music to dogs, to movies and books and games. By the time two hours had gone by, Riko had nodded off. Yoshiko's blood pressure skyrocketed when the second year's head fell to rest soundly on her shoulder, and she swore she'd ascend when Riko's lips curled into an adorably content smile.

When they finally reached their stop, Yoshiko had nudged Riko gently awake with an accompanying "Riri. Return to the mortal realm, we have a concert to attend."

Thirty minutes of walking to the venue, getting in, finding somewhere to sit, and begging a certain little demon to buy her snacks had finally led Yoshiko to excitedly await the start of the show. The stage sat at the bottom of a rather large hill, with a small standing section up front; the majority of concert goers seated on the hill. As the moon reached higher into the sky it had started to get a little chilly and Yoshiko noted how a decent number of attendees had brought blankets to warm themselves under. She cursed herself for not thinking of that, but figured it wouldn't be the end of the world.

"Still can't believe your parents would pass this up. Then again, never pegged Mrs. Sakurauchi as the goth music type." Yoshiko drummed her fingers against her legs— she was buzzing with energy.

"Ah, yeah…" Riko grinned. "Tell me about it."

A hush fell over the crowd as a subtle noise drifted out from across the stage and through the night air. It was the sound of amps revving to go. People began to chitter as anticipation built. Though at the time, her attention was dead set on the stage, Yoshiko could've sworn she saw Riko looking quite fondly at her.

Suddenly, screams erupted as the vocalist took center stage. He dropped down from the rafters, suspended by cords, dressed in lavish historical wear and painted with dramatic makeup. Everything about his appearance shouted _fallen angel_, and Yoshiko ate it up. His feet touched the ground, his fist raised in the air, and a spotlight illuminated his figure.

There was silence…

Everyone waited with baited breath, wondering with fierce curiosity what the legend would do next…

Few things can match the energy of a live musical performance.

The tension was unceremoniously broken; snapped like a rubber band by the first notes of Gardenia. The rest of the band was lit up by stage lights, and the audience ferociously cheered.

* * *

Beast of Blood, Gekka no Yasoukyoku, au revior, Saikai no Chi to Bara, Bel Air… just one banger after the next.

"Yocchan," Riko poked the younger girl and giggled. "Your cheeks are gonna tear apart if you keep smiling so hard."

"How could I not?" Yoshiko swooned. "Look at them!" She pointed an outstretched finger with mighty vigor down at the band. "Ah… to have their sound. I wonder what devils they sold their souls to in order to be rebirthed as sirens." She clasped her hands together and shook with glee. "Thank you Riri! Thank you for inviting me."

Riko returned Yoshiko's smile. "Don't mention it. I knew you'd like it, and I like seeing you so happy."

"Yeah?"

Riko hummed.

Yoshiko turned her attention back to the band and sighed. What she'd give to make music like this with Aqours. The other girls probably wouldn't go for it though. Even their gentler visual kei/glam rock songs were perhaps too outside the comfort zone of the less corrupt members.

Now… musical praise aside, they were a good hour into the concert, and the cold was beginning to get to her. She hadn't known the show would be held outside like this, and the blankets people had seemed more and more appealing by the minute. Even with her jacket, she had started to rub her arms for warmth.

"Cold?" Riko asked just loud enough to be heard over the music.

"Ah… A little." Yoshiko looked over to Riko, and eyed her outfit skeptically. "Are you not?" Though Riri's legs might've had more coverage, her arms were completely bare.

"I guess a little…" Riko shuffled where she sat, quickly breaking eye contact. Yoshiko could see the gears in her head turning as she thought up a solution. Though it was dark out, one could barely see a soft red blush spread throughout Riko's fair cheeks. "Er… hey… Yocchan?"

"Yeah?"

"Could I… try something?"

Yoshiko quirked a brow. "Sure?"

Riko paused for a moment longer. Yoshiko was about to open her mouth and ask what she had in mind, but was soon surprised when Riko scooted sheepishly behind her. "Riko what're yo—?" She was quickly shut up by Riko pulling her closer. She could feel Riko's body heat around her as the two huddled close. Before she knew it, she was being spooned. Riko's arms wrapped around her waist, and her body was used to support the both of them. Yoshiko choked, suddenly unable to think. Her heart raced, it beat against her chest… and she could feel Riko's heart doing the same.

"Is that… better…?" It was mumbled so quietly, Yoshiko almost couldn't hear her.

"Yeah…" Through the mess of butterflies invading her stomach and the hot red blood rushing to her face, Yoshiko forced herself to respond. "T-thanks."

The two continued to watch the show in silence.

The music was loud and the crowd was rowdy. But for some reason Yoshiko couldn't hear anything over Riko's breathing and the steady thumping in her ears. Her favorite little demon was so close, and despite the chilly night air, she felt incredibly warm.

A couple more songs came and went before either girl felt the need to break the silence between them. "Hey Yocchan?" Yoshiko leaned forward and turned around to better make eye contact. Riko grinned shyly. "I'm having a really good time."

The lights of the concert were reflected in the deep golden beauty of Riko's eyes. A soft breeze rustled her pinned back hair and a pink tint painted her face in a wonderful rosy blush. Yoshiko was taken aback by how gorgeous the second year suddenly looked. Her eyes, her smile, her hair… her lips…

Yoshiko nodded slowly. "Uh… Yeah. Same." She tried to swallow down a nervous lump building in her throat as she was drawn in further by the allure of Riko's lips. Never had they looked softer or more inviting than they did in that moment.

Heat crept up Yoshiko's neck into her face, and had she not known better, she'd say her head had begun to steam. Her thoughts began to swim, and she was pulled forward by an unknown force.

She didn't know what was happening, all she knew was that her mind screamed two things simultaneously, each thought trying to overpower the other. _Stop you idiot!_ And _God please kiss her._

And before she knew it…

She was.

Fireworks went off in her chest, her heart could have exploded. The moment was a blur and she had no clue what she was doing, but she could feel the light touch of Riko's lips against hers. It ended far too soon, and before she had the chance to comprehend her actions, it had already been done. She leaned back, head swimming and heart racing.

Riko hadn't said a thing, she simply sat there, absolutely stunned.

She didn't get a chance to say anything either, as Yoshiko's mind was quickly and violently overrun.

_What the hell was that? Why?_  
_You goddamn moron!_  
_Stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid_  
_God how could I?_  
_Shit_  
_I should've asked_  
_I shouldn't have done it at all!_  
_She probably hated it_  
_She probably hates you_  
_Fuck_  
_Fuck_  
_Fuck_

Her breathing came out in rapid, shallow breaths. Tears stung her eyes.

"I have to go!" Yoshiko shot up from where she sat. She didn't take the time to dust off or calm her panicking mind. She just ran.

She wasn't sure where she was going. She just needed to leave. She was embarrassed and ashamed.

As she was leaving, she could barely hear Riko calling her name.


	3. Solace

Yoshiko hadn't the slightest idea how far she had run off. She could still see lights from the concert over a speckling of treetops, as well as hear a faint booming of loud music; she couldn't have been more than a mile or so away. She didn't know how long she'd been running either, but checking her phone, it looked like she'd been fleeing for a solid 10 minutes. Through the intense embarrassment and self loathing, she was almost proud of herself for managing to keep a steady running pace that long. Before Aqours, she likely would've only been able to run steady for a third of that time. She had more or less been a shut in her whole life, running the mile was never her forte.

But digressing,

Her adrenaline rush was starting to wind down. She propped herself against a nearby tree and took a moment to catch her breath. Her chest heaved deep and heavy and all the while, the reality of what she'd done came crashing down on her fragile self worth like a monstrous tidal wave of anxiety.

"Gods I'm such a moron." She chided pitifully under her tired breath. The tears which had begun to sting the corners of her eyes finally had a chance to spill free. It started slow; one tear here, one tear there. But she soon found herself sinking to the ground with blurry vision as regret took over and the waterworks ran freely down her pale cheeks. The mascara she'd applied earlier that evening was thoroughly ruined within minutes of sobbing.

An ever distant voice within her mind tried to comfort her, _what if Riri didn't hate it?_ It said. _What if she liked it? What if she likes me?_

Another voice swooped in to play prosecutor however. _She probably did hate it though. She's probably grossed out. She probably wouldn't want to talk to me anymore. Even if she did by some miracle like it, I ran off like a crazy person. Way to dash all hope._

Yoshiko groaned bitterly to herself. "I wish I was Yohane for real… I bet she wouldn't constantly make a fool of herself." She whined lowly. "I bet she wouldn't have… been so stupid." A shaky sigh. "I wish I was a fallen angel… I could fly away…"

Thank the stars there weren't many people around to see her like this. It was getting late, and she'd made her way to a pretty secluded area. She shivered, the chilly weather continuing to nip at her. But now she didn't have Riko or a concert to distract from it.

She brought her hands up to her face in an attempt to wipe away smeared makeup and salty tears. As she did so, her black painted nails moved across her cheek. She paused, a subconscious urge bubbling to the surface at the feeling of long nails against soft and delicate skin.

Without thinking even a little bit, she applied pressure.

She pushed harder.

She winced, but otherwise continued to feel the sting as she scratched deeper.

_Idiot_  
_Idiot_  
_Idiot_

A mild and painful burning sensation spread throughout her cheeks and fresh tears spilled from magenta eyes.

_Stupid_  
_Stupid_  
_Stupid_

Her breathing quickened, but now, it wasn't exhaustion. She pressed harder, her nails racking into her skin.

_I hate you_  
_I hate you_  
_I hate you_

"—Yocchan!"

Riko, frazzled and tired, appeared suddenly out of nowhere. Usually it'd be obvious to assume she'd been followed, but Yoshiko's mind was not in the right place to make such logical conclusions. Instead, she just sat silently afraid of the verbal lashing which was no doubt hurdling her way.

Quickly and with utmost care, Riko made her way to Yoshiko's side. Her eyes were wide with worry and she looked as though thousands of thoughts were racing across her mind. "Y-Yoshiko stop," She grabbed Yoshiko's hands and pulled them away from her face. "Please… don't hurt yourself." She was panting, having just run a mile after her panicked friend.

"Riko…" Yoshiko stared blankly up at the redhead. "Why… W-why're you here?"

Complete and utter confusion was the only word to describe Riko's expression in that moment. "Um… What on earth do you mean _why am I here?_ Yoshiko you… You can't just—" She growled deep in the back of her throat. She was frustrated and stressed and… "Yoshiko I was worried about you for God's sake. Of course I'd follow."

Yoshiko didn't immediately say anything. She simply studied Riko's face, as if trying to sift through layers of obligatory sympathy to find the disgust and anger she had to have been feeling.

But she couldn't find anything…

"R-Riko…" Yoshiko's voice wavered. Her voice came out in pitiful sobs. "I'm s-so sorry, I don't know why I did that. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have even come here tonight, I'm sure you could've found somebody b-better to take. I'm s-such a goddamn screw up, please don't hate me, I'm sorry I'm—"

Riko pressed a slender finger firmly against Yoshiko's mouth, effectively shutting her up. "Yocchan…" She sighed. "You talk too much." She removed her finger from Yoshiko's lips and moved to sit on the ground beside her. "First things first, I didn't hate the kiss. At all. So… don't worry about that."

"...You didn't?"

Riko shook her head gently. Her red hair, still up in its ponytail, swung loosely with her movements. "No, I didn't. Second, I don't like hearing you say bad things about yourself."

"But…"

"No buts." Riko reached over and carefully took one of Yoshiko's hands into her own. There was a soft blush filling her cheeks, and Yoshiko couldn't help but let her mind drift from how badly she'd messed up, and instead, to how beautiful Riko looked. Even sweaty and tired, even after all that had happened, she still looked absolutely gorgeous.

Riko ran her thumb along the backside of Yoshiko's hand as a soothing gesture and continued to speak, "You're sweet and funny and prettier than anyone should be allowed to be. You're weird, like _really_ weird, but in a very good way. You always keep me on my toes. And of course you should've come with me tonight, I got these tickets for you."

Yoshiko blinked, confused. "I… What? I thought you said these were your parents' tickets?"

Riko giggled lightly and shook her head. "No silly. No way my parents would ever listen to anything you listen to. I bought them because… well…" She cleared her throat sheepishly, "I wanted to go out somewhere with you… y'know, just the two of us…? It uh… made me really happy when you said yes."

"I… y-you…"

Yoshiko didn't know what to say. There was no way she was reading this right. No way had Riko asked her out on a date.

"Yoshiko," Riko rolled her eyes. "I can practically hear what you're thinking. Would you take a hint already?"

"T-take a hint?"

"Oh for the love of—"

Huffing, Riko swiftly leaned over to press a short, sweet peck to Yoshiko's dumbfounded lips. Seconds later she had pulled away with a scarlet face and a bashful smile. "I uh…. said I didn't hate the kiss right? Well… Does that prove it? That I'm telling the truth?"

Words failed to form coherent sentences within Yoshiko's mind. Her brain scrambled, her heart raced, and through the fog of insecurity, she swooned at the way Riko was looking at her. Her golden gaze bore into her soul.

"Y-you… kissed me…" She muttered, so soft it was barely a whisper to Riko's ears.

She chuckled lightly in response. "Ah… Y-yeah, heh, I did. Is that okay?"

Yoshiko swallowed the nervous lump in her throat and quickly nodded yes. Her tears had finally begun to dry as sorrow and embarrassment were replaced by confusion, amazement, and a slight fear that at any moment she'd wake up from what surely must've been a dream.

Riko tucked a rouge strand of burgundy hair behind her ear and smirked. "You're adorable, you know that?"

"I… I… You too. I mean… You're adorable too? Or… P-pretty? Yeah pretty. You're really pretty."

Scoffing lightheartedly, Riko pulled herself up off the ground and extended a hand of invitation down to the younger girl. "C'mon Yocchan. You wanna head back to the concert?"

Yoshiko's lips curled into a tiny, appreciative smile as she took Riko's hand. Once standing, she mulled it over for a second before hesitantly deciding, "Ah… Nah. Actually… I kinda wanna go home and watch a movie maybe? W-would you… maybe uh… like to sleepover? With me? Y-you don't have to of course, if you don't want, I was just wondering…"

"I'd love to," the pianist's voice was silky smooth and filled to the brim with affection. Her voice was specially designed to immediately eradicate any and all lingering doubt trying to claw its way throughout Yoshiko's mind. She made a point to deliver a loving little kiss to Yoshiko's flushed cheek; a small gesture, but one that sent the nervous little datenshi over the moon.

Everything that evening had happened so quickly, it was surreal. None of it quite felt real. But looking from Riko, to their now joined hands, and up to the starry night sky, one thing was perfectly clear…

It was another beautiful day.


	4. Another Beautiful Day

"Welcome back to my lair, little demon!" During their train ride home, the two had made tons of leisurely chit-chat which had thankfully done wonders to get Yoshiko back into high spirits; including but not limited to the part where Riko not-too-subtly scooted closer and let their hands brush against each other.

"Nice to see you acting more like yourself," Riko spoke with a delicate and beautiful cadence, her small yet genuine smile sending sparks through Yoshiko's demonic heart. She stepped in following an inviting gesture from Yoshiko and took off her shoes. "Is your mom okay with me spending the night?"

Yoshiko blew a dismissive raspberry and waved her hand flippantly. As if offended Riko would even ask. "Dearest Riri, I would hope you'd have faith enough in your dark mistress to not fret over such trifle matters. Of course while I am the most powerful entity which dwells here, so as to be courteous of housemates, I've sent an encrypted telepathic missive to the steward of this abode."

"I…so…that's a yes…?" Riko asked with a raised brow.

"Yes, she knows you're here. _She isn't_ though, so it would hardly matter either way. She works at night and doesn't get back till morning. She must've left a bit after we did."

Riko hummed lightly. "I think maybe I knew that. So you don't have any adults around a lot of the time, huh? Is that how you turned out so…" She paused, seeming to have caught herself, "uh, quirky?"

Yoshiko scoffed, but the inconspicuous smirk she wore gave away her amusement. "Yes, I suppose extensive time alone might be one of the reasons I ended up, well, like this." She turned and began to walk towards the living room. "Enough of that though, it's movie time!"

Riko chuckled, and followed closely behind. "What're we watching?"

"Hmm… a horror movie?"

"Uh… No thanks."

Yoshiko's mouth curled into a mischievous, almost cat-like simper. "Whaaaat?" She asked, drawing out the word to really sell her disappointment. "My elite little demon can't handle a meager lil spooky movie?"

"It's not that I_ can't_," Riko argued indignantly. "They're just… boring? Or something?" She wasn't even convincing herself, much less Yoshiko.

The gears were already turning in Yoshiko's head. They'd cuddle up on the couch and watch a scary movie, Riko would startle and cling to her like a scared little girl, and it'd be adorable. Besides, it'd been a while since she'd watched a good horror movie.

"Yeah? Well I promise not to pick a boring one. Leave it to fallen angel Yohane to pick the raddest horror movie you'll ever see."

Riko grimaced. "I… I…" Then she sighed. "Okay fine. But if I have nightmares tonight, I'm blaming you."

Yoshiko pumped her fist excitedly and scurried over to a box of DVDs. Riko got herself situated on the couch and watched tentatively as Yoshiko fished something out from the pile

"Behold!" She announced, and whipped around to present the masterpiece she'd retrieved.

She watched Riko squint at the questionable box art. The title read _Jigoku_ and the box featured demons, torture, and nudity. "This looks…"

"Old?" Yoshiko finished for her. "It is. It's from 1960, but that doesn't make it any less spectacular!"

"I was gonna say inappropriate," Riko chuckled.

"Oh yeah, it's that too." Yoshiko smiled wide and bright, like a little kid given candy. She then popped the disk into the player. She grabbed the remote and hurried to join Riko on the sofa. "I don't wanna give anything away since we're about to watch it, but get ready for murder, sex, thievery, betrayal, dishonesty, suicide, and negligence all wrapped up in a beautifully aged package which turns to utter insanity in the second act."

"Sounds… lovely, Yocchan."

"Hell yeah it does."

The title screen appeared, and enthusiastically, she hit play.

* * *

A fair bit into the movie, Riko had, as expected, begun to cling unto Yoshiko for dear life.

"How did a movie from 1960 manage to make these scenes look so real and gross and terrifying!" Riko whined and nuzzled into Yoshiko's side like a frightened kitten.

"Not a fan of people being flayed, Riri?" Truth be told, this movie was most impressive in its practical effects and imagery. Especially for the time. None of the characters were of much note, but given how horrible almost all of them were as people, there was something morbidly cathartic about seeing literal hell serve them their just deserts.

"Uhhhhhggg I can't believe I let you talk me into thissss."

"Hey now, this is fairly tame compared to some of the slashers out nowadays." Yoshiko felt her face become warmer as Riko moved even closer to her, hiding her face in the nook of her neck to avoid looking at the screen. "H-hey, Riri?" Her eyes grew wider at the muffled noise of complaint which came from the redhead. "Uh… we don't have to finish if you don't want to. We can turn it off."

Riko sighed, and looked up to match Yoshiko's gaze. With a hesitant smile, she shook her head no. "Nah it's fine. I mean this movie is most certainly not my cup of tea but… this," she emphasized, motioning toward how close the two were to one another, "_this_ is nice…"

Yoshiko chuckled awkwardly, her heart skipping a beat. "You uh… Y-you're allowed to cuddle me without having to be scarred for life, heh…" She rubbed the back of her neck. "You… sure didn't seem to mind cuddling at the concert…"

She felt lighter at noticing the way Riko returned her flustered blush.

"Yeah…" Riko paused, no longer paying mind to the graphic scenes playing out on screen but instead seeming lost in her thoughts. "Say… Yoccchan?"

"Hm?" Yoshiko answered with a gentle hum.

"What are we?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Y'know are we… like… a-a thing?" Riko questioned, clearly feeling embarrassed. Thank the heavens and fiery hell she'd said something though, the lingering uncertainty regarding their relationship had been drilling Yoshiko's skull since Riko had returned her kiss. "I'd… I'd like us to be a thing…" Riko added, quietly.

"I… If you're okay with me… Yes, I'd adore that." Yoshiko could no longer hear the blood curdling screams emanating from those on the TV, and it'd seem Riko had also drowned out the sounds of the movie.

"Of course I'd be okay with you." Riko answered with a crooked and embarrassed grin. "I've been crushing on you since we found Nocturne."

"Laelaps."

"Whatever."

"Really though?" Yoshiko wondered aloud. "Since that long ago… wow… I'm pretty dense, huh?"

"Oh Yocchan," giggled lightly, "you really really are."

The two fell into a comfortable quiet, wherein they simply looked at one another for at least a couple minutes. Despite the noise from the TV, the world may as well have been dead silent. Nothing mattered to Yoshiko but how pretty Riko continued to look.

The first to speak up was the datenshi herself, "So… we're girlfriends then? Officially?"

Riko's eyes practically lit up. "I'd like that, very much."

Red rushed to Yoshiko's cheeks, a light blush which perfectly communicated how thrilled and nervous she was to ask "so… that means… I can kiss you again… r-right?"

Riko nodded happily, "you don't even have to ask." And before Yoshiko knew it, their lips were touching once again. This time, there was no running away. She just allowed herself to sink into the feeling of Riko's body close to her own. She sighed, gleeful. Her heart raced excitedly within her chest. She felt warm, and happy, and most importantly, her usual bouts of insecurity which would have usually sprung forth to drag her down into a bitter pit of despair during moments such as these, was taking a backseat to how comfortable and happy Riko was making her feel.

Despite all the ups and downs the day had thrown her way, and no doubt, all the ups and downs which would continue to rain down on her as life continued to march on, she could think in confidence, in that moment, that it was yet another beautiful day...


End file.
